Cotswolds Highlights with the Royal Gardens at Highgrove – Sorry this tour is now fully booked. If you would like to go on a waiting list in case we receive a cancellation please email us on tours@sisley.co.uk
Saturday 17th – Friday 23rd June 2023 (6 nights)
Join us on our exclusive garden tour to The Cotswolds – an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with stone walls, open skies, rolling grasslands, beech woods and captivating villages. We will be staying at two delightful hotels from which we explore wonderful gardens and quintessential English towns and villages. We will enjoy private guided tours, many by the owners themselves and see all the gardens at the height of their summer glory.
- Visit to the Royal Gardens at Highgrove – HRH Prince of Wales’ private garden (please see note on itinerary page).
- Exclusive ‘after hours’ visit to Hidcote Manor Gardens.
- Exclusive visits to the private gardens of Througham Court, Morton Hall and Upton Wold.
- An afternoon in the Cotswolds town of Burford visiting three private gardens.
- Evening drinks at Barnsley House, Rosemary Verey’s garden.
- Superlative Cotswolds scenery.
Photo credits: Images courtesy of VisitBritain – Barnsley House; Kiftsgate Court; Upton Wold; and Highgrove Enterprises.
After our morning pick up at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel, we head north to the charming, 4-star King’s Head Hotel, in the heart of the historic market town of Cirencester.
En-route we visit a delightful private garden, originally designed by Arne Maynard, and enjoy a a guided garden tour and lunch (included) in the garden. We check into the hotel in the afternoon. Dinner in the hotel (included).
Sunday 18th June
We being our day with a visit to a superb private garden. Set amongst beautiful traditional farm buildings, this plantsperson’s garden combines formality and informality. We have time look around the gardens followed by lunch (included) in the very attractive Cotswolds Barn.
From here we continue onto Barnsley House. A tour of British gardens is not complete without a visit to the late Rosemary Verey’s garden at Barnsley House. We have time to explore the garden and have drinks in the garden pavilion followed by dinner (included).
Monday 19th June
For many, today is a highlight of the tour as we visit the Royal Gardens at Highgrove, home to HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. These gardens have been created by the Prince of Wales during his thirty years of ownership and are widely regarded as some of the most inspired and innovative gardens in the UK.
We continue to a village near Cirencester for lunch (included) in a wonderful private garden, made up of immaculate garden rooms. We have time to look around the beautiful surrounding gardens and the owner will be on hand to tell us about their development. Your evening is at leisure in Cirencester.
Please note: Visits to Highgrove are limited and dependent on the Prince’s diary. Dates are released in early spring each year, therefore it is not possible to guarantee a visit before this time. Our itinerary may be re-ordered to accommodate the visit, or an alternative garden will be included should a visit not be possible
Tuesday 20th June
We begin our day with a visit to the private garden at Througham Court which nestles in a secret valley. This extraordinary garden, designed by its owner, is inspired by scientific facts and theories, and the numbers and patterns found in nature. We enjoy a guided garden tour followed by morning coffee in the garden room (included).
From here we make a stop in the Cotswolds market town of Stow-on-the-Wold where you’ll have time to browse the eclectic, high-quality shops, look around the ancient church and have lunch (independent).
Bourton House Garden is our next stop. This privately owned garden is inspirational, with colour combinations, superb topiary and exotic plants.
We then check into the 4-star Lygon Arms Hotel. This newly refurbished, stylish hotel is located in the heart of the Cotswolds town of Broadway, and offers an elegant swimming pool, cosy seating areas and excellent customer service. Dinner in the hotel (included).
Wednesday 21st June
Today we explore the beautiful Elizabethan home of the Throckmorton family since 1409, Coughton Court. We enjoy a private guided tour of the gardens and meet the owners for lunch (included). The 25-acre grounds are considered some of the finest in England and have been described by the Royal Horticultural Society as ‘breath-taking’. The garden features it’s famous walled garden, a rose labyrinth boasting over 200 varieties of roses, a bog garden and a delightful courtyard garden, modelled on the traditional Elizabethan knot garden design.
In the afternoon we visit the superb garden at Morton Hall. This 8-acre historic garden has undergone an extensive make-over in recent years and is one of England’s most exciting private gardens to visit. We return to Broadway where your evening is at leisure.
Thursday 22nd June
Enjoy a free morning in Broadway to visit the museums, galleries and and shops. Lunch (independent). In the afternoon we visit Kiftsgate Court Gardens, a delightfully laid out garden on top of a hill with magnificent views over the Vale of Evesham. The garden is the creation of three generations of women gardeners.
We end the day with an exclusive ‘after hours’ visit to the famous Hidcote Manor Garden. Major Lawrence Johnston is claimed to have been the originator here of the ‘garden room’. We will enjoy the gardens, as very few do, after closing. We’ll be guided through the gardens by one of the knowledgeable volunteers and then enjoy drinks on the terrace. We return to Broadway for dinner at Russell’s Restaurant (included).
Friday 23rd June
Our final garden visit is to Upton Wold. We will be taken on a tour to explore this intriguing garden that has been created over the last 40 years by the owners, originally with the help of landscape architects Hal Moggridge and Brenda Colvin. Highlights include the fountain garden, rose garden, fruit and vegetable gardens, meadow and the national collection of walnut trees. We have lunch (included) in the garden room.
In the late afternoon we drop off at the Sheraton Heathrow Hotel and Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 for inter-terminal transport links and the Heathrow Express train for travel into London.
Please read our Tour Joining and Departure Arrangements information sheet here. To download a printable version of the itinerary, click here.
Our Hotels
Our hotels are 4-star and are selected for their high standards of comfort and service. All rooms are ensuite and offer free wifi access.
The Kings Head Hotel, Cirencester (3 nights)
The Kings Head Hotel is an elegant boutique hotel with 45 stylish bedrooms, located in the heart of Cotswolds in the historic market town of Cirencester. The exact age of the Kings Head is not known, but it was certainly in existence as a coaching inn in the middle of the 14th century. The Kings Head is listed as a building of special architectural and historical interest with strong links to the English Civil War. Happily, today it is a haven of peace and comfort.
The Lygon Arms Hotel, Broadway (3 nights)
Awarded Editor’s Choice Historic Hotel 2021 by The Good Hotel Guide, the Lygon Arms is located in the heart of the picturesque Cotswolds town of Broadway. This renowned Cotswolds hotel is one of Britain’s most historic inns – its guest list has included both King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell. Today the hotel offers stylishly comfortable rooms, numerous lounges and snugs, superb outdoor areas, gardens and an elegant swimming pool & spa.
| Tour cost per person (sharing twin or double room) | Single Supplement (for single occupancy of a double room) |
| £4,100 (GBP) | £670 (GBP) |
PRICES INCLUDE:
- 6 nights’ accommodation at 4-star hotels with en-suite facilities.
- Breakfast daily, 5 lunches and 4 dinners.
- All garden visits including tours with garden owners and head gardeners.
- All tour gratuities (driver, tour director and hotels).
- Deluxe coach travel with professional driver.
- Gift information pack with detailed information about the gardens we will be visiting.
- Services of your Sisley tour director throughout
PRICES EXCLUDE:
- Airfares.
- Passport and/or visa fees if applicable.
- Meals not included in the tour, drinks, laundry, and telephone calls.
TOUR PAYMENT: A 10% non-refundable deposit is requested at the time of booking to secure your place on the tour. Your tour balance payment is due 90 days prior to tour departure.
EXCHANGE RATE INFORMATION:You can get an idea of the cost of the tour in your local currency by using a currency converter. Conversion rates are based on institutional or inter-bank daily rates. Retail conversion rates include fees and will generally differ from these rates.
You can book and pay for your tour in three ways:
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We very much look forward to welcoming you, but please email tours@sisley.co.uk if you have any queries.
